Progress Report
by Molkite
Summary: It's time for Tony's progress report. Something unexpected comes up and Gibbs is powerless to help. AU, OOC and Angsty warnings. One shot.


Gibbs closed Tony's personal file and looked over to his agent. He hated doing progress reports, but they were a necessity. Especially while they were undergoing an audit. He had taken an hour out of their day to discuss Tony's progress and set his goals for the upcoming month. Really he didn't have much to say with regards to improvement.

"So you really could use some time on the range… Just to let me sign it off… Otherwise I think we're doing fine… There was something about promotion you wanted to talk to me about?"

Tony shifted a little in his seat and opened his mouth to reply. At first he couldn't really find the words to speak. He couldn't work out what he wanted to say. He hadn't thought Gibbs would discuss this with him so hadn't prepared like he had with the rest of his session.

"Umm well I was just wondering… I'm starting to get a bit, well I feel like I have hit a plateau and I'd like to move on a little."

"Move on with regards to moving department?"

"Well maybe… I really want a fresh challenge, I feel like I'm not going anywhere right now."

Gibbs sat back and stretched his arms out In front of him before speaking. He read Tony's body language and found him defensive and unsure of himself. He wondered if it really was Tony that wanted this, the previous progress report had been filled with Tony gloating about how well he was doing and how he was coaching McGee still.

"You're still learning Tony I don't think you're at a plateau at all… In fact I think you'd be silly to try and move on before you're finished learning from me."

Tony blushed and looked down at his hands he hated discussing this sort of thing. He didn't want to seem over ambitious or money hungry. The fact was he was being pushed to progress by someone outside of NCIS. Although Tony was steaming ahead with his progress already, he felt compelled to move on up a lot quicker.

"Okay… Is my job secure?"

"Job secure? Yes it is, why have you been told otherwise?"

"No I was just curious."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow he wasn't convinced.

"You're doing fine Tony I don't know what you've been hearing, in fact you're the one person I am most impressed with. Your accuracy on the range is at 100% consistently. You're nearly always on time with reports after I kicked you up the butt. And you're really progressing well mentoring McGee."

Tony smiled but cursed himself, there was no room for self satisfaction. Not while he wasn't at the top. Then he could smile and relax. But until then he had to work hard, that would be the only way he could keep everybody happy.

"Thanks boss, I think my ego just ballooned… I don't know I just don't feel like I'm getting anywhere, I don't know if you ever feel that?"

"No… I don't Tony. I'm always picking up new things and meeting new people… But I'm not you; you seem to get itchy feet easily… I'll give you different tasks this quarter, maybe that will help?"

Tony nodded and tidied a pile of papers he had on the desk. They fell silent for a moment while Gibbs filled in a progress form. Tony felt exhausted he had been working all the shifts he could beg borrow and steal. As well as working his own. He had felt comfortable in his job. But he had been told that he needed to rise up the status ladder, that his job might not be as safe as he thought.

"Gibbs you know why I'm so worried about keeping my job?"

Gibbs looked up from his paperwork and met Tony's troubled eyes. He suddenly looked as tired as he felt, he looked worn and troubled. Gibbs felt his heart tug. He hated to see his agents worn down, but that was part of the job.

"No, tell me Tony?"

"I have a partner… and they tell me, if I ever lose my job or if I start to earn less money they will have to split up with me. They say that if we bring in anything less than we are then we can't afford to live together… And I have looked round, there is nothing affordable round here for me to be on my own…"

Gibbs inhaled deeply and looked down at his forms, taken totally off guard. Tony had always been self sufficient. He had never felt dependant on anyone else, not even when he was just a junior agent following his heel. Now he seemed the opposite. He was being pushed in a direction he didn't want to follow. As much as Gibbs wanted to help, he couldn't. Even though his heart bled for the man sat before him, he just wasn't allowed to interfere with his agents personal lives… not unless they asked, and Tony hadn't. At least he hadn't said so.

"Tony you need to do these things for yourself… Don't ever let anyone push you… You need to go in the direction you want. Never let anyone dictate to you what you should do, especially work wise."

Tony looked up and smiled briefly, his attention soon returned to the table.

"Can I go now I have a lot of paperwork to fill in for this afternoon?"

Gibbs nodded and watched Tony leave, making sure the door didn't slam behind him. Gibbs sat taking in what he had just been told, he didn't want to believe it, maybe it was a trick to get Tony on the promotion grid quicker. But Tony wasn't like that, he knew Tony was honest, as goofy and amorous as he was, he wasn't a liar.

He felt frustrated that he couldn't help. But that wasn't his role. His role was a facilitator at work not in Tony's personal life. It was just against the rules. He sighed and collected his papers together making some final notes on Tony's file. He felt it was best to omit what Tony had just confided in him. Some things were best left unwritten.


End file.
